EUGENIO DE BLAAS Albano, 1843 - Venice, 1931 Portrait of a Girl with a Bunch of Roses Signed Eugen De Blaas and dated 1880 lower right Oil on canvas, 70X50 cm Provenance: Italy, private collection Eugenio de Blaas' favourite subject is the female figure, depicted in scenes of everyday life with brilliant colours and excellent painting technique. In the canvas in the catalogue, the refined pictorial draftsmanship stands out, skilfully played out in soft tones: from the light colours of the face to the delicate pastel shades of the elegant dress, on which the hands clutching a small bouquet of roses stand out. It was in Venice that de Blaas established himself as the leading exponent of the Venetian painting genre, much appreciated by cultured tourists and art enthusiasts. A pupil of his father Carlo at the Accademia di Venezia, he participated in the city's collective exhibitions for many years, gaining favour with the public and critics alike. His female images, with angelic faces and looks that are both mischievous and romantic, represent the essence of his art. The painting under scrutiny is a clear testimony to de Blaas' excellent painterly quality. Reference bibliography: A De Gubernatis, Dictionary of Living Italian Artists, Florence 1906, ad vocem U Galetti, Pittori e valori dell'Ottocento, Milan 1961, ad vocem A M Comanducci, Dizionario illustrato dei pittori e incisori italiani moderni, Milan 1962, ad vocem E Castelnuovo, La pittura in Italia. L'Ottocento, Milan 1991, ad vocem T Wassibauer, Das Werk von Eugene Von Blaas (1843 ; 1931) Catalogue raisonne, sl 2004 ad vocem